WASHINGTON – Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, led by U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, today sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson asking for responses related to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.

“In unsettled times, taxpayers have a right to expect that government actions will have real, measurable and positive effects on the economy without subjecting the nation to a spate of runaway spending,” the Republicans wrote. “The worst possible outcome would find Americans left on the hook to fund economic experiments which do not lift us out of the financial quagmire, but actually levy an even heavier cost in money, lost jobs and missing progress.”

The lawmakers asked Paulson 10 questions, including what the criteria for selecting asset mangers were, what the delay for picking the asset managers is, and how Treasury will be determining values for certain assets.

A copy of the letter can be found here.